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The article presents the story of former teacher Jeff Leardini who was awarded over a million dollars for the loss of his career as sixth-grade language arts teacher at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). It recounts Leardini's predicament who was forced to resign by CMS employment relations specialist Kay Cunningham for allegedly "touching" students. The case against Leardini was ruled in his favor and an appeal case is said to likely proceed into a settlement.

The article advising readers to support U.S. President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election. The article cites cases where federal agencies supported the rights of educators under Obama's administration, including a teacher's case in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals about wrongful termination based on disability, a U.S. Department of Justice suit against Chicago Public Schools for alleged discrimination against a pregnant teacher, and challenging anti-immigration laws in Alabama.

The article discusses U.S. educational laws in states where legislation has limited teachers' unions and public workers, focusing on lawsuits brought by the National Education Association (NEA) and its state affiliates. The article discusses a 2011 victory by the Arizona Education Association against a state law restricting payroll dues deductions for public workers, as well as laws in Alabama related to teachers' political donations and in Rhode Island related to teacher retirement.

The article discusses purported legislative attacks on U.S. teachers' rights by state governments as of 2011, noting that the labor union National Education Association (NEA) opposes the measures. Topics addressed include the abolishing of teachers' collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, a ban on political activities by teachers' organizations in Arizona, and the implementation of value-added models (VAM) of teacher evaluation on the basis of student test scores in several states.

The article discusses steps being taken by affiliates of the National Education Association (NEA) to protect members from students engaging in violent activities against teachers in the U.S. According to the article, Madison Teachers Inc. (MTI), an organization of public school teachers and workers in Madison, Wisconsin, will initiate a civil lawsuit against any student who threatens or strikes an MTI employee following the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO).

The article discusses a report published in the "Los Angeles Times" newspaper about the effectiveness of the value-added model (VAM) of teacher evaluation. The author suggests that the newspaper article maligned teachers in the Los Angeles, California school district by publishing an online database ranking teachers according to VAM. He argues that the VAM method of teacher evaluation and rating is not reliable and reports on the suicide of a teacher after the release of the database.

The article, a sidebar to the main article "Caught in the Crossfire," reports on the duty of public schools to admit undocumented immigrant children, per the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision "Plyler v. Doe." The federal ruling striking down Proposition 187 in California is discussed, along with other laws protecting the rights of children of illegal aliens.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Remember Squirrel Hunting?" by T. Edward Nickens, "Never Gut a Deer Again," by Keith McCafferty, and "A Sportsman's Life," by Bill Heavey.

This article reports that U.S. National Education Association (NEA) members can be personally sued if they fail to take action or report incidences of bullying and provides ways for school employees to avoid being sued and stop bullying. Methods include making sure the school district has strong anti-bullying policies, reporting all incidents while keeping a copy in writing, and intervening immediately if an incident is witnessed.

The article discusses court decisions in the U.S. to determine whether students are protected by the First Amendment when they defame school employees and teachers in Internet postings. The outcomes of several court cases are presented regarding the use of social media including blogs, the web site YouTube, and the social networking web site Facebook in ridiculing educators. The article predicts that the U.S. Supreme Court will become involved to determine whether students can be punished.

The article describes a lawsuit initiated by high school student Blake Robbins against the Lower Merion School District (LMSD) in Pennsylvania for allegedly using the webcam of a school-provided laptop computer to spy on him while at home. Using anti-theft software, the school was able to remotely take "screenshots" and photographs of Robbins with the computer's webcam. The scandal has been called "Webcamgate," and the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation have looked into the matter.

The article discusses a court case in which a student secretly recorded class discussions in an Advanced Placement European History class at Capistrano Valley High School and then sued the teacher, James Corbett, in federal court for expressing derogatory, disparaging and belittling remarks about religion allegedly in violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The court found that one of 20 statements were in violation but assigned no penalty. Both sides have appealed.

The article discusses a high school assistant principal's experience with laws surrounding teen sexting, or electronic circulation of sexually explicit photographs. The principal, Ting-Yi Oei, faced criminal charges for receiving such a photograph from a student he disciplined. Although innocent, he faced $167,000 in legal fees and suspension from his job. The article advises school personnel to develop protocols for handling sexting incidents and to avoid transferring evident to one's phone.

The article reports on the results of the U.S. Supreme Court case Safford Unified School District v. Redding in which the court ruled in June 2009 that student strip searches are almost always impermissible. The plaintiff of the case, Savana Redding, was ordered by the assistant principal that she be strip-searched in an attempt to find a 400 milligram tablet of ibuprofen. The effects of the ruling on U.S. school districts are discussed.

The article discusses education issues that will be heard by the United States Supreme Court in 2009. The Court will decide several important issues in the June 2009 session, including the legality of strip searching public school students, the need to educate English Language Learners, and the education of students with disabilities.

This article reports on First Amendment rights for public school employees and how they were changed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2006. Public employees do not have First Amendment rights when speaking in an official capacity. The article also discusses school security specialist Bob Posey and how he was fired in 2004 for writing about problems at the school where he worked. A list of incidents where a court ruled that no Rights Violation occurred is also presented.

This article is focused on legislation regulating the use of cellular telephones by students in the U.S. A case is discussed in which student Gregory Requa was suspended for posting an inappropriate video of a teacher taken with his cellular phone to the Internet. A judge declared that the video constituted sexual harassment. Also discussed is a case in which a New York court upheld a New York City (NYC) Board of Education ban of cellular phones from school property. INSET: NEA: Schools should lay down rules for cell phones.

The article discusses the legal ramifications associated with the dismissal of teachers from their schools in the U.S., because they posted sexually-oriented photographs and texts on their personal Web blogs. While the courts have not yet decided any of these teacher blogging cases, it is the general rule that school employees can be disciplined for off-duty conduct. As to a possible free speech claim, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2004 that it was not a violation of the First Amendment.

The article discusses the difficulties associated with implementing Bible studies curricula in U.S. public schools where the separation of church and state is an important legal principle. The Abington Township v. Schempp U.S. Supreme Court decision that stipulates that secular study of the Bible is acceptable in public schools is referenced. Bible studies curricula created by the Bible Literacy Project (BLP) and the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools (NCBCPS) are explored.

The article reports on the impacts of a speech of student Joseph Frederick. The author claims that Frederick's speech changed the course of constitutional law and decreased the free speech rights of all students. He stationed himself on a public sidewalk across from the Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska and opened a 14-foot banner with the text Bong Hits 4 Jesus. He was then suspended for 10 days for advancing the use of illegal drugs.

The article offers ideas for teachers on ways to address identity theft over the Web. It details two cases of identity theft involving teachers Billy Johnson and Anna Draker. The author recommends that if teachers were victimized by identity theft, they should immediately notify MySpace and the school. They should also contact local law enforcement officers to report the case.

The article presents several court cases filed by students against schools concerning the ban of controversial T-shirts. The Vermont seventh-grader Zach Guiles won the court decision against his school for not allowing him to wear an anti-Bush T-shirt in school. In California and Ohio, evangelical Christians and conservative students are also challenging the authority of school administrators to censor their shirts.

The article reports on the move of the National Education Association Representative Assembly to produce a pamphlet specifically for new educators that provides common-sense advice on how to avoid false allegations of inappropriate behavior with students. Entitled Teach But Don't Touch, the pamphlet was produced with input from NEA state affiliate attorneys.

The article focuses on the rulings of federal courts on two cases regarding training programs that are aimed to lessen harassment and promote GLBT students acceptance in Maryland and Kentucky. The course materials of a health education curriculum that is intend to teach tolerance of gays and lesbians violate the Constitution according a federal district court in Maryland. A federal district court in Kentucky decided that parents do not have right to have their children choose not to participate in a mandatory student diversity training that aimed to stop GLBT student harassment.

The article reports on the decision of the Florida Supreme Court that Governor Jeb Bush's voucher program for K-12 students violates the state constitution. The high court based its decision on the education clause of the state constitution which requires the state to maintain a uniform system of free public schools. The court maintained that the voucher scheme violates the provision in two different ways. Opponents of public education claimed that the decision forces voucher students back into the failing public schools.

The article focuses on the Student Press Law Center (SPLC), a law center established to defend the rights of U.S. student journalists to cover important issues of concern to young people. It was founded by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial in 1974. The center has posted legal memoranda on issues related to press censorship on its Web site. The SPLC has pushed for the legislation of state laws that will guarantee press freedoms for student journalists. INSET: ANY QUESTIONS?.

This article considers the issue of whether U.S. military recruiters should be banned from high school and college campuses. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the federal government can cut off funds to higher education institutions that refuse to allow military representatives to recruit on campus. The second part of this article describes some of the initiatives launched by the U.S. Department of Defense, as of October 2005, aimed at improving military enlistment.

Focuses on legal issues arising from the constitutionality of school funding systems for public schools in the U.S. Number of states in which school finance litigation were filed and with pending lawsuits according to the Advocacy Center for Children's Educational Success with Standards; Involvement of National Education Association affiliates on legal challenges to school finance systems; States who have declared the unconstitutionality of their school financing systems.

Focuses on issues arising from a policy imposed by the school board of Dover Area School District in Pennsylvania which requires its biology teachers to instruct students in Intelligent Design, an alternative theory about the origin of life and to discredit the theory of evolution. Statement issued by the school board regarding the issue; Collective action taken by the Dover High School science faculty against the curriculum; Limitations on teaching a subject of creationism in science classes according to Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education.

Examines federal court rulings that provide guidance on questions involving religion in public schools in the U.S. Decision of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on the case of Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland for refusing to disseminate meeting notices of student religious clubs; Violation committed by the Arizona school district according to the appellate court; Court ruling on the case filed by Devalls Bluff School District teacher Steve Warnock against his superintendent's practice of conducting prayers at mandatory teacher meetings and in-service training sessions. INSET: RELIGION AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS: THERE'S A CONSENSUS.

Focuses on actions taken by teachers to protect students against discrimination in U.S. schools. Fined imposed on Portland Public Schools for refusing to renew a contract of a teacher due to her complaint of the school's discrimination among students with disabilities; Response of a superintendent of a school in Winston-Salem, California to a racial discrimination complaint of Decoma Love-Lane, an assistant principal.

Focuses on the use of portraits in teaching history in Great Britain. Importance of gaining the attention of children when teaching about the Tudors; Organization of a workshop by Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.

Reiterates the position of the National Education Association on the case filed by doctor Michael Newdow arguing that the Pledge of Allegiance should be banned from public schools. Background of the case; Arguments raised by Newdow; Rationale given by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals favoring Newdow.

Features RateMyTeachers.com (RMT), a for-profit Web site where students can have their opinions about their teachers validated. Number of teachers who have received ratings since the site was launched in August 2001. Details of how the web site works; Benefits of the Web site for teachers; Information on whether a teacher can sue RMT over student comments.

Presents a sampling of federal court decisions regarding complaints of parental rights violation by public school officials across the U.S. Background on the cases; Basis of the decision of a second circuit court of appeals in Connecticut in June 2003; Rejection of a lawsuit seeking monetary damages from a volunteer school counselor in California in July 2003.

Reports on the case of Carmelita Roybal, a ninth-grade English teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico who was suspended after she disobeyed the order of the school principal to remove a poster declaring "No to War Against Iraq." Argument of the school district; Claim of Roybal on the significance of the poster.

Provides information on lawsuits concerning the administration of state-wide examinations in the U.S. as of May 1, 2003. Termination of teacher George Schmidt for publishing faulty answers of the Chicago Academic Standards Examinations; Settlement of a class action lawsuit by the National Computer Systems for wrong scoring of the Minnesota Basic Skills Test in 2000; Complaint of a Florida organization for the alleged violation of disabled students by the state's mandatory graduation exams.

Reports on the issuance of a set of federal guidelines by the U.S. Department of Education, which requires school districts to allow students and teachers to engage in religious activities as school in May 2003. Risk of non-compliance with the guidelines; Scope of the guidelines; Contention against the guidelines.

Presents three court cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear which are of special interest to National Education Association members. Use of affirmative action in student admissions; Decision on whether Congress can require public libraries that receive electronic rate discounts to install filtering software; Option of state employees to sue their employers for violating the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Reports on the decision of U.S. government officials to require that the Ten Commandments be posted in public places, mainly in courthouses and parks. Objection to the decision; Failure of the Virginia and Alabama state legislatures to enact legislative bills with regard to the issue; Argument raised on the content of the Commandments.

Provides information on the legal victories for gay teachers and students in the U.S. Lawsuit filed by Derek Henkle against the Washoe County School District; Background on the lawsuit filed by teacher Joan Lovell against the Hamilton School District; Amount of settlement won by Karl Debro from the San Leandro Unified School District.

Focuses on a ruling by a U.S. circuit court in August 2002 that the voucher program in Florida violates the state constitution's ban on the use of public money to aid religious institutions. Clause of the constitution that served as basis for the decision; Worth of bond paid by the state to repay affected public schools.

Reports on the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold private school vouchers, rejecting the argument raised by the National Education Association (NEA) against the scheme. Rule under the clauses in the constitution of some states about school funding; Reason behind the decision of the NEA to sponsor a state court challenge to Florida's statewide voucher program; Justification for the decision to permit private school vouchers.